Chapter 6

Alexander Vale sat at the head of the long boardroom table as the first gray light clawed over the glass towers. Three directors watched him with the tight, satisfied smiles of men who had already counted the votes.

“No one doubts your personal loyalties,” the eldest said, voice smooth as oiled teak. “But that performance at the Crystal Pavilion last night has endangered shareholder value. Three critical votes hang in the balance this morning. Silence on the Voss matter would have been cleaner.”

Alexander kept his hands flat on the polished surface. The flash drive in his pocket felt heavier than the entire table. “The rumors targeting a five-year-old are poison. Silence would have fed them.”

A younger director leaned in. “Or it would have kept our stock from sliding. Margot Hale’s leaks are accelerating the damage, and your public threat of corporate retaliation only painted a bigger target on Vale Enterprises.”

The name Margot sent a visible ripple through the room. Alexander had known the cost when he stepped onto that dais. He had chosen it anyway. “Then we buy time,” he said evenly. “I’ll issue a limited operational concession on the European expansion. Temporary. It keeps the

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